Sorta Stuffed Kabocha Squash

Though the weather is starting to look like spring in LA, I’m still holding onto my winter love for hearty, warm dinners. Squash has always really done it for me, so this recipe stars one of my favorites: kabocha squash. It’s also known as Japanese pumpkin because, well, it looks like one.

Here’s what you need:

½ kabocha squash

1/2 onion sliced

1 portabella mushroom sliced

1/2 zucchini sliced

2 spicy Italian chicken sausages

marinara sauce to coat

garlic powder

parsley

S + P

{Makes 2 servings.}

Preheat the oven to 400. Prick the squash with a fork or a knife so it can release steam while it’s cooking. Roast the squash whole (since cutting a whole kabocha is not only a feat of strength but is also asking for a trip to the emergency room) for about an hour. You should be able to easily cut the squash when it’s done with the skin and inside meat fork tender.

In the last 15-20 minutes of the squash cooking, heat some olive oil in two different pans. Sauté the sliced onion in one and the sliced portabellas in another. (Mushrooms like to cook by themselves at first to avoid getting rubbery.) Add the zucchini to the pan with the sliced chicken sausage at the same time. Add the spices. Once the veggies are tender and the sausage is browned add the cooked mushrooms and some marinara sauce. My favorites are Yellowbarn and Rao’s for their super clean ingredients. Set aside.

Cut the squash in half to clean out the seeds then quarter it. Save the other half for another time. Use a quarter of the squash to sorta-stuff the inside with your veggie and sausage mixture. Serve it up the same way for your dinner companion–one-quarter squash per person and half filling per person

And bonus fact: you can eat the skin! Go for it!

Ingredient highlights…

Kabocha squash is detoxifying and is known in Chinese medicine to help treat irritability (bye bye, Seasonal Affective Disorder). It’s also chock full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Onions are also detoxifying in nature and are known to help move energy in the body.

Portabella mushrooms are known for their cancer-fighting properties.

Zucchini is detoxifying and cooling to the liver.

A note about your chicken sausages: make sure they’re organic and hormone and antibiotic free.Eat up and enjoy!